‘Thousands upon thousands’ of US government officials would have had access to leaked docs, former intelligence community official says
The Biden-Harris administration is investigating a “deadly serious breach” of classified U.S. intelligence detailing Israeli plans for a strike on Iran, the latest in a series of targeted leaks against Israel that has put America’s closest Middle East ally on edge, according to current and former U.S. officials.
The explosive weekend release included top-secret Pentagon documents purporting to show Israel’s preparations for a large-scale counterstrike on Iran. The two documents—compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency over the past several weeks—expose how Israel is preparing for the attack, including the types of aircraft and munitions that are expected to be used. They were published by the Middle East Spectator, a little-known outlet that is known to disseminate propaganda from Tehran.
While the documents, according to CNN, include markings that indicate they were meant to be shared with the “Five Eyes” intelligence network—made up of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada—a former U.S. intelligence community official who reviewed them said there is no question they emanated from the U.S. side. The documents, the former official said, appear to have been posted on a U.S. classified system that can be accessed by “thousands upon thousands” of American officials from across the government.”
“They all can literally log onto a classified computer and pull up the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency’s website and look at whatever is made available to them,” the former official said. “Why would you allow any intelligence like this, whether it’s compartmentalized or not, why would you ever allow that to be generally available?”
While the documents do not detail which sites Israel is likely to attack inside Iran, they are the latest in a string of leaks that have raised questions about the Biden-Harris administration’s ability to safeguard information at the highest levels of government. For Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon adviser, that trend is likely to erode Israel’s trust in the United States.
“The damage wrought by this leak has less to do with tipping Iran off about or tactical insight into an impending Israeli strike than with broader bilateral trust,” Rubin said. “This is not the first time a U.S. administration has leaked top secret details meant to sidetrack Israeli efforts to undermine Iran’s nuclear program.”
In the end, Rubin said, “it’s not Israel that will ultimately pay the price; it’s the United States. The U.S. intelligence community can gain more from Israel than vice versa. By signaling Israel can’t trust Washington, the United States will essentially be operating blind, learning about Israel actions from the media after the fact, just like the rest of the world. In a region where minutes can make the difference between life and death, this is a truly high price to bear.”
One senior Biden-Harris administration official, who was not authorized to speak on record about the situation, described the leak as a “deadly serious breach.”
“For at least the past year there has been a concerted campaign to leak what at least seems to be classified information by anti-Israel elements in large part to impact media narratives—but, if true, this obviously goes beyond that,” the official said.
A U.S. defense official, also speaking only on background, confirmed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is “looking into these reports” as it seeks to determine how a cache of highly secretive documents, dated Oct. 15 and 16, made their way to a pro-Iran media account entity that published them on Telegram.
The White House National Security Council declined to comment, referring requests to the Pentagon and ODNI, which also would not speak on record. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the documents, their authenticity, and efforts to identify the leaker.
“It is extremely alarming that pro-Iranian social media accounts are posting what appears to be leaked intelligence on Israeli operations and planning,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees the U.S. defense establishment. “Whoever committed this outrageous act is putting our ally at risk, and they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Middle East Spectator said in a statement that the documents were originally posted inside a Telegram channel, where the leaker is likely an active participant. The outlet said it is “not aware” of any additional classified leaks. It also identified the leaker as potentially an employee with the State Department, which would have access to top-secret assessments.
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Last week, private communications between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spilled into public view, showing a behind-the-scenes effort to pressure Israel into pumping more aid into the embattled Hamas-run Gaza Strip. The letter included a threat to cut off critical U.S. arms sales to Israel if it does not improve humanitarian conditions on the ground. The leak fueled accusations that the Biden-Harris administration is trying to embarrass Israel as it leans on the Jewish state to end its war against Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Earlier in the year, a State Department document assessing that Israel was in breach of American laws mandating humanitarian assistance in times of war also spilled into public view, jolting Israeli leadership and driving calls among some Democrats for arms sales to be cut off.
The leak has also raised fresh questions about several senior Biden-Harris administration officials who are known to advocate for increased diplomacy with Iran. This includes senior Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai, who was identified last year as a member of a secretive pro-Iran influence group operated by the hardline regime’s government.
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